02/21/2005

Last week some friends lost their premature baby after only a few days of life. They are dealing with their grief with amazing faith and sanity that I don't think I could've matched if I had gone through the same thing. They are grateful for the time with their child, even as they mourn the loss. Their grieving process will likely have many chapters and I am praying for them.

One side effect of hearing about something terribly sad happening in another family, at least with me, is that it shines a spotlight on what I do my best to remember all the time -- how incredibly blessed I am in so many ways. To have my beautiful daughter, my beloved husband, both sets of our parents still living, two of our grandmothers still living, much loved sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephew, awesome friends.

Do you know the Ben Folds song "The Luckiest" (lyrics here)?
It's a rather melancholy love song, but I've liked it since I first
heard it a few years ago. A recurring phrase in the song is "I am, I
am, I am the luckiest." I am, I am, I am very blessed and grateful this day. I hope you are, too.

12/31/2003

My sister had her second child on December 26th -- a little girl named Mia Helen -- and my good friend D. had her first child yesterday, also a little girl, named Alison Marie. I haven't seen little Alison yet; hopefully mother and baby will be up for company this weekend. But the day little Mia was born my husband and I made an impromptu drive of about 400 miles to see her and her family. I've never held a baby on the first day of his or her life before. It was amazing. My husband was captivated. We also got to play with our little two-year-old nephew, which is a rare occurrence.

When I spoke with D. on the phone last night, she said, "Now it's your turn." Yikes! I'll be 5 and a half months pregnant tomorrow; four calendar months and one week from my due date.